Hands-off hands-on: the HTC Windows Phone 8X and 8S

Would it be a Windows Phone 8 device if we were allowed to really play with it?

HTC and Microsoft jointly unveiled two new Windows Phone handsets, the 8X and 8S, at a press event today in New York. While neither phone has bleeding-edge specs and no one on the show floor was allowed to dig into the OS (Microsoft is being especially cagey about Windows Phone 8), the design and feel of the devices in-hand is actually very appealing. HTC may be gunning for Nokia's role as the flagship Windows Phone 8 partner. As Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC, stated, "HTC will position the 8X and 8S as the signature phones of Windows Phone 8." Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer didn't disagree.

The 4.3-inch HTC Windows Phone 8X (the phone's full, official name) has a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB of storage, and a rear 8-megapixel camera that has a backside illumination sensor and can record 1080p video. The 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera has an f2.0 lens with an extremely wide (88 degree) viewing angle. This too manages full 1080p video recording. This phone was the larger of the two, rounded on all sides with a matte finish polycarbonate body.

As shown in the photos, the phone wasn't significantly wider than our iPhone 4S, but it has a larger screen (and a higher resolution, at 1280×720). The phone weighs 130 grams and measures 10.12 millimeters thick—not the thinnest or lightest, but it strikes a nice density balance and didn't feel too heavy.

The 8S leans a little more heavily on design, with several different color schemes that involve a "dipped" foot on the bottom end of the phone that matches accents around the camera and on the earpiece. Inside is a 1GHz dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, 16GB of storage, and a 4-inch screen at WVGA resolution. Strangely, this phone has no front-facing camera, and the rear-facing camera is a 5-megapixel, f2.8-aperture job that records 720p video. These are decidedly mid-range internals, though Windows Phone in the past has managed to provide a smooth OS experience even without cutting-edge hardware.

The shell on the 8S is also made of polycarbonate, and it feels about the same density as the 8X, at 113 grams and 10.28 millimeters thick. While it felt nice in hand, the spec profile doesn't exactly scream "future-proof," so this one will have to be priced very aggressively to get any attention, to our minds.

While this product launch offered no real hands-on time, there was one thing that HTC permitted us to do. We could flip a "Beats Audio" switch while playing music. As we listened on the headphones, the song playing would go from a relatively flat equalizer setting to a more dynamic one suited to the music. The rep speaking to us about the feature said that the switch helped the drivers in the phone's speakers, but it seems to be more an adaptive equalizer adjuster that can tweak the treble and bass based on the type of music that it detects.

Microsoft and HTC announced that both phones will become available on AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile in the US and 150 carriers worldwide in November. Pricing details have yet to be announced.

Casey Johnston
Casey Johnston is the former Culture Editor at Ars Technica, and now does the occasional freelance story. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Applied Physics. Twitter@caseyjohnston